Service Standard 1 - Service philosophy

1.1 A provider must develop and maintain a service philosophy that:

(a) reflects the requirements and intent of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the SRC Act) and the policy guidelines and procedures that may be issued by the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission or Comcare from time to time, and

(b) incorporates the following key principles of occupational rehabilitation.

Key principles

1. early intervention and assessment to identify the employee’s return to work needs (including consideration of the physical, personal, social and environmental factors that influence return to work)
2. employee participation in return to work planing and empowerment of the employee to be actively involved in their rehabilitation
3. primary focus of return to work to the same, modified or a different job with the original employer
4. proactive management of the return to work plan and effective coordination with all key stakeholders
5. an assessment and planning process which is workplace focussed
6. rehabilitation activities that are evidence-based and specific to the injured employees needs, and
7. rehabilitation goals that are functional and focussed on return to work outcomes with goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and aligned with evidence-based recovery timeframes.

1.2 A provider must ensure that no conflict of interest arises when providing rehabilitation services. Specifically, treatment and occupational rehabilitation services must not be provided to the same individual.

1.3 A provider must ensure that in all cases it:

• complies with the Commonwealth’s Privacy Act 1988
• abides by the information privacy principles, national privacy principles or any approved privacy code under that Act as applicable, and
• where necessary, maintains registration on the Register of Businesses That Have Opted into Coverage by the National Privacy Principles maintained by the Privacy Commissioner.